Charcoal Burning in Bieszczady
Tradition of charcoal burning in the Bieszczady forests is surrounded by legends of hermits living far from human settlements, and their difficult and dangerous work that becomes their passion and way of life.
Bieszczady charcoal burners and builders
People who burn charcoal are called charcoal burners or builders. Allegedly, they appeared in these areas as early as the 15th century! Why in Bieszczady? Allegedly, the best charcoal comes from beech wood, and there is no shortage of beech trees in Bieszczady!
How was charcoal burned in Bieszczady?
The secret to proper wood burning is to limit the oxygen supply. It requires great sensitivity and experience to transform wood into valuable charcoal instead of burning it to ashes.
Initially, the wood was stacked and covered with soil and turf. These were called mielerze: Similar mielerze were also used to obtain other products such as turpentine, tar, and pitch. To produce them, pine and fir logs and birch bark were needed as they contain the most resin.
Later, in the second half of the 20th century, steel kilns and retorts were introduced, which are still used by modern charcoal burners. Did you know that the temperature inside a retort during wood burning reaches 8000 degrees? When the smoke from the chimney changes color from gray to white, the retort should be doused with 100 liters of water and left to cool for about a day.
Charcoal - its uses
Charcoal is three times more calorific than raw wood. It is commonly used as fuel for grills, but also in the production of filters, plastic materials, and even as a food coloring.
Where to see charcoal burning in Bieszczady?
Although the demand for charcoal remains high, traditional charcoal burning is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Allegedly, you can still find the last true charcoal burners in places like Szczerbanówka near Cisna, near Majdan (from the side of Komańcza), and in Stężnica ("wypał u Zygmunta").
To avoid disturbing the charcoal burners, who may not want to be a "living tourist attraction", we recommend visiting the mini open-air museum of charcoal burning between Stuposiany and Muczne:
Open-air museum of charcoal burning
A small open-air museum, which is a reconstruction of an old charcoal burner's hut, a real retort, and a charcoal burner's barrack, located on the Stuposiany - Muczne road. ...
It is also worth visiting the new (opened in July 2023) living museum of charcoal burning in Komańcza. The working charcoal burners are the main attraction of the place, and they are happy to answer questions about their work along with a guide.
Eco-Museum of Charcoal Burning "Na Wypale"
"Na Wypale" is a living museum of charcoal burning. Here, you can see people working on the burning of the "Bieszczady gold" and real smoking retorts. ...
Publish Date: 2022-08-10
Last Updated: 2022-08-16